The Witch Hunt of Mineral Town
by Tint
Summary: Robin, a young witch hunter, has been sent to capture a witch who lives among the peaceful folk of Mineral Town. Who is the witch of Mineral Town? Read to find out.
1. Assigned to The Hunt

**The Witch Hunt of Mineral Town**

**Chapter 1: Assigned to the Hunt**

_A/N: If you haven't already figured from the title and intro, this is a cross-over. I am attempting to create the story of a young witch hunter, by the name of Robin. She has the power of the Craft to use fire at her free will. Well, Robin has been assigned to hunt down a witch who is rumored to be living in Mineral Town. Who is the witch? _

_A few legal disclaimers before I begin. These will apply throughout the entire fic. I do not own either Harvest Moon: Back to Nature or Witch Hunter Robin, the sources of inspiration for this fic. That means that I cannot be held legally responsible for using their characters. Also, the rating that is posted on the directory is only a rounded rating. There is no 14A, which is what I intend this fic to be. If anyone is bothered by violence, death, some "bad" language, romance, slight sexual references, the use of magic, or witches; grow up. Just kidding, but seriously; don't say I didn't warn you._

_One last thing. My fans may be a little disappointed that the HM aspect of this fic takes the back seat. I highly recommend that anyone who has never seen WHR to see at least one episode of this anime. To those who have seen the show, this story takes place during the first ten or so episodes, before the weird betrayals and subplots come into account. Also, it would be year one, Summer in Back to Nature. This story is told through the third person perspective, focusing on Robin. She may appear a little distracted most of the time, but that is how she is portrayed on the anime. That's it and please enjoy, leaving a kind review upon finishing._

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Today was turning out to be just another boring day at the STNJ. Everyone was tired from the previous night's stakeout, which had turned up unsuccessful, yet again. Especially tired was the new hunter that had joined them the previous week. Her head kept nodding forwards, only to jerk up, suddenly awake.

Her name was Robin, or so the boss had told the other hunters. Robin kept mostly to herself, only saying the occasional "Thank you" when she was offered a cup of coffee or tea. She was only fifteen, but had proven to be an essential member to the STNJ during her first hunt.

The other hunters had trapped a witch inside of a warehouse and were closing in for the capture. Little did they know, the witch was prepared for the hunters. He had set up Symbols of the Craft throughout the warehouse. When the hunters walked across these Symbols, the witch gained power over gravity's control on them.

Robin, who had a extensive knowledge of the Craft, added a lines to the circular symbol. This gave her control over the symbols power and was able to turn the witch's power against him. The witch was then subdued and sent off to the Factory, which was a sort of rehabilitation center for the witches. Most facts about the Factory were told on a need to know basis.

"Robin." The boss called from the Briefing Room. "I have an assignment for you."

"Oh…" Robin stated in surprise, being awakened from her latest doze. She delicately stood up from her chair and walked silently towards the Briefing Room. Her long black dress trailed along the ground behind her. She always wore black, the reason: unknown. Her blond hair was tied into two pigtails, one sticking out from either side of her head. A few stray strands were dangling before her blue eyes.

The boss directed Robin to one of the seats and waited for her to sit before beginning his explanation. "The Factory has found the location of a witch, who has yet to realize his powers. We intend to capture this witch before he awakens his powers. This is the village of Mineral Town, a small farming community located to the south of us." An overlay of the town appeared on the computer terminal before Robin.

"Unfortunately, the Factory only provided us with a very vague description of the potential witch. He is described to be a male in his late teens to early twenties. We sorted through the occupants of the town and have narrowed the list to six suspects. Your assignment is to blend in with the other occupants of the town and figure out who exactly the witch is. The local innkeeper has been contacted and has a room ready. You may stay as long as it takes to identify and capture the witch. This should prove to be an easy mission, so I am assigning this to you as a solo operation. If you require backup, Amon will be dispatched immediately." The boss offered.

Amon was the superior among the hunters, having been a hunter for quite some time. Longer than any of the other hunters at least, but that wasn't saying much. Everyone at the STNJ, other than the boss and Amon, were under twenty. The others were the three other hunters, the technical coordinator for the missions, and the boss' assistant.

Robin nodded in understanding as the boss continued his explanation. "Here are the latest available pictures of the six suspects." The screen changed from the town to six pictures of young men. "The first one is Tim. He is a doctor and works at the Clinic. Next, we have Rick. He helps his family run the Poultry Farm. Then, there is Kai. He only is in Mineral Town for the Summer season, so you have limited time with that one. Gray is the grandson of the local blacksmith. He spends most of his free time at the Library. Cliff is a very solitary person, with a past shrouded in mystery. Finally, we have Jack. He stepped in after his grandfather past away to take over the family farm. Be careful around each one of these men. They could all prove to be very dangerous. Any questions?"

A silent shake of the head told the boss all that he needed. "The STNJ has been kind enough to provide you with your very own Vespa to travel around on. The trip to Mineral Town is quite long and we don't have the personnel to spare in driving you there. I hope you don't mind." The boss explained as he led Robin back to the main room.

"No, I don't." Robin stated silently as she walked off towards the elevator. The STNJ was located in a large multi-story building, but the only floor that was actually used was the top one. A single man was always seated at the bottom of the building, guarding the entrance. The STNJ was a very private operation, working in collaboration with local police forces, but were not public knowledge. If the public knew that some people could harness magical powers…

The elevators chimed as it reached the bottom floor. The metal doors slowly opened up, revealing the underground parking lot that housed the vehicles the STNJ used. The guard looked up from the paper that he was reading, spotting Robin as she exited the elevator. "Your Vespa is at the end of the cars." He said, jerking his thumb in the proper direction.

For those who don't know, a Vespa is a type of motorcycle, but for teenagers. I personally wouldn't be caught dead on one of those, but then again, I have my own car. I'm sure that a mo-ped is a great thing for a fifteen year old girl to have in Japan. But, then again, I've been wrong before.

Well anyways, Robin had climbed aboard the Vespa and was staring it up. The machine obviously wasn't in the best of conditions as it stalled numerous times before finally running smoothly. "Good luck out there. Be sure to come back from your mission." The guard wished as he opened the gate, allowing Robin access to the bustling streets of Tokyo.

Robin made a short stop at her apartment to pack for the trip. Who knew how long she would be staying in Mineral Town? Right as she was about to climb onto the Vespa, her STNJ communicator rang. It was essentially a cell phone, but it was equipped with all the tools the hunters used. "Hello?" Robin asked as she brought the phone to her ear.

"Hey Robin," The voice on the other end said. It was Michael, the computer hacker who provided information to the hunters and took care of communications and tactics for the group. "I've sent you a map with directions that will take you to Mineral Town. They should be on your screen as we speak."

Robin looked at the screen of the communicator. "I got them." She stated.

"Good. Well, all of us here wish you good luck. We're all a bit jealous. This would be classified as a vacation for us." Michael said with a small laugh.

A tiny smile crept across Robin's lips. It was a rare thing for her lately, due mostly to the extensive tests that she was put through. Screening to see if she would make an acceptable replacement hunter. The last one met an unfortunate fate during a hunt. "I'll keep in touch." She said, terminating the conversation and starting up the Vespa.

The trip to Mineral Town proved to be a relaxing experience, once outside of the bustling activity that was Tokyo. The huge skyscrapers slowly tapered away to residential apartments, then to family homes, and finally to the open countryside. The directions were very explanatory, so Robin never once ended up lost. There was a portly man, dressed in a red suit, awaiting her as she pulled the Vespa to a stop. This was as close to a parking place as any that she could find out here.

"Welcome to Mineral Town!" The man exclaimed once Robin removed her helmet, placing it on the seat of the Vespa. The girl took a look around her, taking in the beauty of nature. The village could be seen beyond a row of trees.

"It's nice." She whispered as the man led her towards the town.

The man smiled at the comment. "As Mayor, it is my duty to make the town presentable. I think that we've done a good job."

Robin nodded, "I like it."

The Mayor took Robin through a brief tour of the town. They passed by a few villagers, but none were among the list of suspects. Robin even received an evil glare from a couple of the younger ladies. Maybe, they were worried about her becoming a rival of theirs for the heart of the men. Little did they know, Robin was going to be taking one of the men away.

After an hour or so of traveling through the town, the Mayor, who Robin learned was named Thomas, left her at the Inn. She had a fair understanding of the layout of the town already, but she didn't want Thomas to know. Her orders were to blend in as an ordinary person.

Robin pushed open the door to the large building and stepped inside. She looked around, seeing that the place was empty except for the red bearded man behind the counter. The place felt like the interior of a wild western saloon. Robin lugged her bag over to a stool at the counter and sat down. The man behind the counter smiled at her. "You must be Robin. Can I get you anything?" He asked.

"A coffee would be nice." Robin stated. She was beginning to like this place already. Not only was it a very peaceful appearing town, but she also had close access to coffee. Maybe this mission wouldn't be as hard as she had first thought.

Just as the bartender was placing the cup of coffee before her, the doors to the building swung open. In stormed an energetic trio of men. Robin immediately readied herself, bringing her power into waiting. She recognized the men from the suspect's pictures that she had seen earlier. These three were known as Kai, Gray, and Cliff. Cliff and Gray appeared to be following after Kai, for they seemed to be less enthusiastic than their leader.

The group headed to one of the empty tables. "Three beers! They're paying!" Kai called out to the bartender. Only now did he notice Robin seated at the bar. Kai turned to his comrades and whispered, "Hey guy, check out the new meat!"

The other two took one look at Robin and shrugged. She was fairly attractive, but one would have to have a taste for Gothic-like girls to really like her. Kai leaned over the table, "How about another bet? I'll go over there and flirt with her. If she resists my charm, then I'll take beck our previous bet for your Opening Day losses."

"What is she gives in?" Gray asked coldly.

Kai shrugged his shoulders. "You guys won't tell Popuri about the girl back home."

Gray and Cliff looked at each other. They knew that Kai was trying to get them to hide his dark secret. He had let this information slip one night while he was drunk. Finally, they agreed to Kai's terms.

Robin had overheard the entire conversation. She knew Kai's type. He was the kind of guy who had a girl in every town that he visited. She smiled slightly as Kai confidently walked over to her. "Hey beautiful. What's your name?" He asked slyly, a smirk spread across his face. Robin was going to have fun with this one. She said nothing, awaiting his next move.

Kai sat down on the stool next to Robin. He watched intently as she took a sip of her coffee. "Do you like coffee? I love coffee. I've got my own coffee shop down on the beach. Perhaps, you could stop by later and we could share a cup?" He suggested, rocking back on his stool.

Robin focused on the two legs of the stool that remained touching the ground. Two small flickers of flames began eating through the legs. Nobody seemed to notice, until Kai suddenly found himself sprawled on the ground. The flames had vanished as soon as their job was complete. Robin got up from her stool and looked at Kai. "Sorry, I'm not interested."

Kai set his purple bandanna back in place. He looked in amazement at the stool, confusion reigning over him. He quickly returned to his table, where the other two guys were laughing hysterically.

The young lady looked over to the bartender. "Can you direct me to my room?" She asked.

The man nodded his head. "I followed the orders that I was given. You have a room to yourself. It's up the stairs, door on the left." He directed as he came out from behind the counter with the men's order. On the way back he examined the broken chair, shaking his head in disbelief.

Robin climbed the staircase and followed the hall. She found her room and locked the door behind her as she entered. She pulled out her communicator, "The Witch Hunt of Mineral Town has begun."

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_A/N: I hope I haven't confused anyone with all the information. Don't ask what STNJ stands for, since I don't know. I've only seen the first seventeen episodes, so I'm not sure about some things. I hope you enjoyed this starting chapter and please review._


	2. Suspicious Behaviors

**The Witch Hunt of Mineral Town**

**Chapter 2: Suspicious Behaviors**

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I know that this fic isn't really the greatest of Harvest Moon fics, but it is really supposed to be focusing on Witch Hunter Robin. I'm still going to try to make the Harvest Moon part better._

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The morning sun beamed brightly through the window, casting the room into brilliant colors as light touched the remote corners. One particularly bright ray of light fell across Robin's face, forcing her to turn away. If she had been the one to decorate this room, dark black curtains would be blocking the violating light particles from seeping in. Her eyes squinted at the clock that ticked monotonously away in an endless cycle. Only six o' clock; much too early to start work.

An unwelcome ring from her communicator told her that she wouldn't be going back to sleep. Robin reached out, searching the nightstand for the beeping device. Her hand eventually grasped hold of the cold metallic casing of the phone and she quickly brought it up to her ear, clicking it on as she did. "Ugh…" She muttered as she climbed to her feet, pulling on her black dress as she did so.

"Good morning to you too." Michael stated, sounding just as tired as Robin felt. He must have done one of his all night security tasks or spent the nocturnal hours hacking into some porn site. "I've been doing some background checks on your suspects. I'm afraid I didn't find anything that struck me as odd. There isn't much information to go on since Mineral Town is such a remote location with so little technology. We are currently trying to locate Rick's father and figure out what school Tim studied at. I'll keep you updated when we find out anything new."

"Thank you." Robin yawned, switching the communicator off. She finished getting dressed and pulled her hair up into her regular style. Then, she took a few minutes to look over the profiles of the villagers. It would be best if she knew something about them. As soon as she exited her room, stepping out onto the balcony that overlooked the tables, the bartender, Doug she remembered, noticed her. "Care for a coffee, Miss Robin?" He asked as she descended the stairs.

"That would be nice." Robin smiled. Coffee always managed to get her ready for any of the challenges that came her way. She walked across the empty room, taking a seat at the end of the bar. A steaming hot mug of coffee was waiting her. Doug and Robin made small talk while she slowly sipped away at her drink. Robin kindly thanked the red bearded man as she headed for the exit.

Her first suspect to examine was going to be Tim. He was pretty much guaranteed to be at the Clinic. Robin walked in the direction in the clinic, gazing longingly at the surroundings. The crowded city life of Tokyo couldn't afford room to such tranquility. The serenity was broken suddenly, "Piece of crap door… Just what I need first thing in the morning."

Robin turned the corner, heading towards the building. A man in a white lab coat was furtively banging on the door, which apparently wouldn't budge. Robin walked by, observing the man as she did. Suddenly, the door clicked and swung open. A girl, slightly older than Robin, was on the other side. "Sorry, I didn't know it was you, Tim." She said apologetically.

Tim pushed past her and vanished into the darkness. The girl was about to shut the door when she noticed Robin. "Can I help you with anything?" She asked.

Robin shook her head. "No thanks. I'll come back later." The girl nodded her head in understanding before pushing the door shut. "Tim appears to be easily angered." Robin said silently before continuing her walk. Anger is almost always a characteristic of witches, or so she had been taught. But then again, a couple of the witches that she had run into so far had been very timid until provoked.

Speaking of timid, a scraggy looking lad was slipping inside of the large building that rose up beside the path. She only caught a glimpse of the guy, but Robin recognized him as Cliff. Since he was one of the suspects, she decided to follow him inside.

The interior of the church was stunning. Two rows of simplistic pews lined either side of the aisle that run from the entrance to the podium up front. A door led off to what Robin guessed was for confessions. Cliff was seated on the pew at the front of the left side. The Pastor sighed when he spotted Cliff. "This must happen often." Robin thought as she sat down close enough to overhear the conversation between Cliff and the Pastor.

"What is it this time, Cliff?" The Pastor asked, sounding fairly bored.

"It's about Ann. I like her and all, but I just can't express my feelings for her. What should I do?" Cliff looked up expectantly.

The Pastor placed a hand on the depressed guys shoulder. He then whispered something, inaudible to Robin, into Cliff's ear. Immediately, Cliff's attitude seemed to change. Whatever the Pastor said obviously had a significant effect on Cliff. He stood up, thanking the Pastor and leaving the church.

Robin was somewhat confused by the sudden turnaround. The Pastor noticed her look of confusion and headed towards her. "He is unsure of himself. All he needs is a few words of guidance to push him in the right direction. What is it that you need?"

"Oh, nothing. I just came in to look around." Robin stated. She got up from her seat and bowed slightly to the Pastor. She then excused herself, taking the chance to leave. Once on the outside of the church, Robin released a sigh. So far, nothing to eliminate any of her suspects. Cliff might just have bipolar disorder, but he could be depressed because he is suppressing something that is unknown to him. This was going to turn into a long investigation.

Robin silently walked through the town square. She noticed an empty bench that seemed to call out invitingly. Robin took a seat, ready to take a short break. It's not like her boss could catch her and fire her for being lazy.

Her rest was interrupted by the sound of arguing coming from over in the direction of the ocean. It sounded like two guys were fighting. Robin got up from her seat and headed towards the source of the commotion. The ocean made a peaceful background to the turmoil that was erupting before it. "I warn you, Kai. If you make Popuri cry, I will kill you!" A nerdy looking guy with glasses was shouting at Kai. Robin realized that the other guy was Rick

Kai approached Rick, shouting back, "Let her go, already! She doesn't need you to be bearing down on her all the time! She's grown up now and can make her own decisions!"

"How dare you tell me what to do with my own sister!" Suddenly, Rick took a swing at Kai. His fist struck Kai heavily right in the nose, sending his target to the ground. Robin was ready to step between the two, but decided against it, figuring that this was a good chance to potentially discover who the witch was.

Kai picked himself off the ground, wiping the freshly drawn blood away from his nose. He took one look at his blood stained sleeve, a sudden look of bloodlust in his eyes. Kai wildly struck out at Rick, connecting with numerous attacks. It was Rick who was bleeding after the exchange.

This fight had gone far enough. She would be in a whole bunch of trouble if one of these two ended up killing someone else, much less another suspect. She was sure that Amon would gladly accept collateral damage. Robin focused on the area between the two combatants, trying to summon some fire. In response to her wills, a small flicker of a fire wall appeared magically.

Rick and Kai jumped back in surprise. They looked at each other, confused at what had happened. Rick quickly pushed past Robin. "What are you looking at?" He demanded.

Kai watched Rick disappear in the direction of the Poultry Farm. He barely took notice of Robin until she took a step forward. "What was that about?" She asked Kai as he held his purple bandanna to his nose, trying to stop the blood flow.

The guy shrugged his shoulders. "Rick is just being a little overprotective of his sister. All I do is flirt with her. I don't even like. I've got a fiancée back home." Kai slowly began to advance towards Robin. "I could always use another little flirt." He stated suggestively.

Robin pushed Kai away as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I told you yesterday… I'm not interested!" She turned her back on the man whore and began walking away.

"Hey! I'm not finished with you!" Kai grabbed Robin's arm and pulled her to face him. His breath reeked of alcohol. Robin glared at the boorish man. Before he knew what hit him, her knee made solid contact with his groin, doubling over in pain. Robin quickly dashed away, trying to get as far away from Kai as possible.

She ran until she got back to the Inn. Her eyes had filled with tears. Never before had any guy made sexual advances on her. She couldn't be blamed for her reaction. She didn't have any idea of what to do in the given circumstances. Robin bolted through the Inn, past the surprised customers and up into her room.

Robin collapsed in an emotional wreck on her bed. She lay there crying for a minute or so before there was a knock on her door. "Are you alright? A male voice asked from the other side of the door.

"Please leave me alone." Robin called back to the person. She expected that whoever it was would leave her alone. Instead, the door creaked open and in entered a guy with brown hair tucked under a blue ball cap. He looked every inch a farmer, except for the white gloves that covered his hands. It was Jack, one of the suspects. At the moment, she didn't give a damn if he was a suspect. She needed someone to use as a shoulder to cry on.

Jack listened intently as Robin related her story about the encounter on the beach. She struggled at bits, when the tears refused her to speak freely. Jack, in a surprisingly gentlemanly gesture, removed his bandanna from his neck and offered it to Robin. She gladly accepted the offering, dabbing away the teardrops. "I think that it's time that I have a little talk with Kai." Jack announced once Robin finished her tale.

"Thank you, Jack. You're one of the nicest people that I've met here." Robin managed a smile as Jack stopped at the still open doorway. Jack only smiled in return vanishing around the corner. Suddenly, Robin felt a strange twinge in her heart. Was it possible? Could she have fallen for this farmer? A suspect? She collapsed onto the bed, trying to make sense of these strange new feelings that had assaulted her today.

As if on cue, her communicator rang. "Robin." She stated into the phone.

Michael chuckled on the opposite end. "That sounds more like a full blown STNJ operative than a newbie. Did you find out any good evidence to narrow down the search?"

She contemplated, only momentarily, telling Michael about what had so far, but decided against it. "Everyone's still a suspect." She revealed.

"Sorry, but you're wrong. We can safely eliminate three of your suspects. You no longer have to worry about Tim, Gray, or Cliff. They only needed a few pieces of information to clear their names. The other guys are still to be considered dangerous."

"Thanks. That will make it easier."

"I'll give you a wake up call tomorrow morning." Michael laughed, to which Robin groaned slightly. She clicked off the device. At times like this, she wondered why she even needed to be on location. Michael always managed to figure stuff out before the field agents did.

A high pitched scream sounded from downstairs. Robin bolted up from her bed and ran to the balcony. Kai was stumbling through the Inn, stumbling into tables. He was covered in bruises and burns. He looked up at Robin, his eyes connecting with hers for a very short moment. Then, he collapsed to the floor, bringing a table down with him.

Doug ran up to Kai, checking over the pile that was Kai. He placed his fingers on Kai's neck, checking for a pulse. He shook his head, "He's dead."

Robin opened up her communicator. "Michael. I'm down to two suspects. Call in Amon. The witch has killed."

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_A/N: I hope nobody hates me for killing Kai and making him a jerk. Please review and await the next chapter._


	3. Turned Tables

**The Witch Hunt of Mineral Town**

**Chapter 3: Turned Tables**

_A/N: So, the witch has killed Kai. Robin has to find the witch before the witch strikes again. Only Jack and Rick remain as suspects. How much help will Amon provide when he shows up as backup? All will be answered in this chapter._

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**Kai's **body had been taken to the Clinic. The Inn was still a madhouse of activity. Gossip flied from the mouths of the worried villagers. Some claimed that Kai had been slain by someone called the Harvest Goddess. Others pointed accusing fingers at Rick, saying that he had finally snapped against the egotistical jerk that was Kai. There were even a couple of people that were suspicious of Robin, claiming that the newcomer had been acting very suspiciously.

Robin was seated at the bar, carefully sipping at a cup of coffee. Her partner, Amon, was already on his way to Mineral Town. Once he got here, he would examine the body of Kai. Amon always had a way of convincing people to let him do something that probably wasn't allowed.

She had only a short length of time to look over the body with the other villagers. His shirt had been torn away revealing numerous cuts. Kai's stomach and face were covered in black patches that closely resembled burn marks. Robin had seen marks like these before. When she used her fire craft against opposing witches, they were often left with burn marks matching the ones that Kai bore.

This arose a slight problem. Had Robin caused these burns without knowing it? After all, she had attacked Kai earlier in the day. Maybe, the anger and desperation that she felt at the moment had spilled into an accidental fire burst. If that was indeed the cause, then surely Amon would have to capture Robin. She shuddered at the thought of being sent to the dreaded Factory.

Someone had taken a seat beside Robin. She looked over her shoulder, smiling when she recognize the person as Jack. He had been there when she had been so upset over her meeting with Kai. But, there was still one thing about Jack that had Robin worried. Right before he had left her, he had said that he was going to go meet with Kai and the two of them were going to have a little chat.

"Did you manage to talk to Kai before he was attacked?" Robin asked.

Jack shook his head as he took a sip from his drink. "I was never able to find him. I looked all over town without any luck. Then I overheard someone say that Kai had collapsed over here. Looks like that was true. Unfortunate." Jack added a shrug of his shoulders with that last statement.

This was odd. Jack had seemed like a completely normal, likeable guy earlier. Now, he was acting like he was glad that Kai was dead. What was with this sudden turnaround? "Why is it unfortunate?" She inquired.

Jack smiled evilly. "Too bad that I wasn't the one that got to kill him. He deserved everything that he got. I'll never forgive him for what he did to my Popuri."

Robin stared at the farmer in amazement. She had never expected that one who appeared so nice would have such a strong personal vendetta. Suddenly, she didn't feel that safe being right next to Jack. "Please excuse me. I need to get some fresh air."

Now what was she going to do? Both Rick and Jack had reason to hate Kai because of his treatment of Popuri. Robin could only imagine what Kai had put Popuri through. If his actions on the beach were any hint, Kai could get a little possessive and overbearing.

Robin needed to figure out who the witch was and fast. Once a witch learns how to use their power, it isn't long before they start attacking innocent people. Witches take pleasure in the pain and suffering that they caused. Mineral Town was going to become a very dangerous place.

Prior knowledge of the witch's powers serves as an essential edge if this hunt came down to a fight. Maybe if she got another look at the body she might be able to understand the powers of the witch. Robin found herself standing before the entrance of the Clinic. This was where the body had been taken and it would serve as the ideal place to start her study.

"You shouldn't be by yourself at night. It's dangerous." A familiar voice commented from behind a nearby tree.

"Amon?" Robin wondered aloud. Sure enough, the tall dark haired man with the 'I don't care' attitude, showed himself from his hiding place. "How did you get here so fast?" She asked him when he walked past her.

"I knew that you couldn't handle this assignment by yourself. I was already in town before Michael called me." Amon explained, pushing himself past Robin and into the Clinic. "He always has an air of arrogance surrounding him." Robin thought as she followed her partner inside.

Amon was already working on convincing Doctor Tim to let him see Kai's body. "I'm part of the Tokyo Police Department. I've heard that someone was murdered today. Can I take a look at the body?" Amon lied right into the face of the doctor.

Tim looked skeptical. "How'd you find out about Kai's death so quickly? Tokyo is quite a distance away."

Amon looked over his shoulder at Robin. "We at the Tokyo Police Department have our sources."

The doctor looked over at Robin. He seemed to buy Amon's story, pulling the curtain aside, allowing the fake policeman inside. Robin made to follow Amon, but Tim quickly shut the curtain. "Sorry, only police are allowed inside." He stated.

"But… I'm with him!" Robin attempted to explain.

Tim merely laughed at her statement. "Yeah right. I'm sure that they recruit teenagers for the police force."

Robin turned her back, upset that she was being excluded from such an important aspect of her own investigation. She was about to leave the Clinic and return to the Inn when she noticed the secretary. The young girl appeared to be very upset over something. Robin decided that she may be able to get some information out of the girl. "Excuse me, Miss, but are you all right?" She asked in the friendliest voice that she had.

The young brunette haired girl jumped a bit when she was spoken to. She must have not been expecting that anyone was going to talk to her. The girl had been crying, for a sole tear still remained on her cheek when she turned to face Robin. She tried to match Robin's happy expression, but couldn't muster the strength. Instead, the girl broke down into a uncontrollable sob.

"I'm sorry for intruding. You must really miss Kai." Robin quickly apologized for her intrusion and was about to back away when the girl held out her hand to stop Robin.

"No, it's alright. My name's Elli and just to let you know, I'm not upset about Kai's death. I'm glad that disgusting pig is gone. He was such a pervert. One time he faked an injury just so that he could try to act out one of his nurse/patient fantasies." Elli had wiped away the tear from her cheek and was now smiling.

Robin nodded her head in understanding. "I know what you mean. He put a move on me this afternoon. I ended up kicking him in between the legs."

Elli laughed at Robin's tale. "That's exactly what I did to him too. I'm surprised that Popuri liked him for so long. It wasn't until Jack came to town that she realized her mistake. Ever since then, Kai and Jack have been heated rivals for Popuri's affection."

Elli's story added to the ever increasing amount of evidence that was mounting against Jack. The longer this day became, the more guilty Jack was looking. Robin had to tell Amon about her hunch about the identity of the witch. "If you aren't upset about Kai, then why were you crying?" Robin inquired, her curious nature still not satisfied.

"Oh, that…" Elli hid her face for a few seconds, as if to hide the obvious redness in her cheeks. "Tim didn't let me help him with the initial examination of the body. He said that I couldn't see the results of the craft. Whatever that means." Elli shrugged her shoulders and returned to the stack of papers that marred the desk top.

A sudden wave of fear swept over Robin. "If Tim has knowledge of the craft, then maybe… He could be the witch! I have to warn Amon!" Robin thought to herself. She bolted across the Clinic floor, heading for the curtained area where Tim and Amon were examining Kai's body. Robin pulled open the curtain and found herself face to face with two gleaming pistols.

"What's the meaning of this?" Robin asked, frightened. She stared down the two symmetrical barrels and into the eyes of the two gunmen. Tim appeared angry, while Amon maintained his collected composure. Robin found herself backing away from the two guns, but the men slowly advanced after her.

Her heart pounded. At any second, Amon and Tim could fire their Orbo bullets into her. Orbo was a special chemical that the STNJ had created and used to paralyze witches. Robin had seen many witches fall to just one single bullet. She was faced with two full clips, ready to be deployed.

To her surprise, Amon lowered his gun. "I'm going to give you a ten minute head start before I start your hunt. Consider it repayment for saving me on your first mission." Amon stated coldly.

Tim looked at Amon in complete confusion. "She's the witch that killed Kai! We have to subdue her before she kills any of the other villagers!"

Amon shook his head. "I wouldn't worry about that. Her aiming is horrible. It's more fun when they try to escape."

Robin stared at Amon in disbelief. He had betrayed her so quickly, without even the slightest hint of remorse. Was this what had happened to the hunter that Robin replaced? "But… why?" She managed to ask.

Amon took a look at his watch. "You're down to nine minutes. Run!"

Robin didn't need another warning. She turned on her heels and bolted towards the door. The first thought that ran through her mind was to return to the Inn. She had to collect the keys for her Vespa. She might stand a chance if she could get driving.

She bolted through the Inn door and up the staircase, totally ignoring the inquiries from Doug and the other villagers. Her room was just the way that she had left it. Robin quickly pocketed the keys for her scooter and was reaching for her communicator when it rang. Robin clicked on the phone as she exited the room.  
It was Michael on the other end. "Robin. I found out some important information! Tim is part of the American branch of the STN! You should contact him to help you with your investigation."

Robin was already out of the Inn doors and making her way towards where she had parked the Vespa. "That explains why Amon and him are hunting me." She stated sarcastically as she ran past the buildings and into the trees.

"Pardon? I thought you said that Amon and Tim are hunting you." Michael laughed.

"They are!" Robin yelled into the communicator.

She heard Michael let out a surprised gasp. Then, he called out what was happening to the rest of the office. It sounded like every member of the STNJ picked up their phones, joining in on the conversation. "Are you sure that it isn't a mistake?" Her boss demanded.

The clearing where she had parked her Vespa was just visible ahead. "Apparently the evidence points against me. The victim was covered in burn marks."

There was silence on the other ends of the device. Suddenly, every other hunter began speaking at once. "Nice knowing you." "Sorry, Robin." "Goodbye, Robin." All that remained was a few clicks as her fellow hunters terminated the conversation.

Robin burst into the clearing. There was a black car parked between her and where she had parked the scooted. How could she forget? Amon had his own vehicle. Her chances of escaping had fallen drastically. Robin slid across the hood of the car, closing in on the getaway vehicle. What she saw forced her to stop in her tracks.

All that remained of her Vespa was a pile of charred ashes. "Leaving so soon?" A voice asked from behind her. Robin raised her hands into the air, in a gesture of surrender. She slowly turned to face her pursuer, expecting to see Amon or Tim with a gun pointed at her. Instead, Jack stood before her. But, Jack had changed since she saw him at the Inn. He no longer wore the pair of white gloves. His hands were now two glowing balls of fire.

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_A/N: Robin's sure in trouble now. The witch has been identified as Jack. Now, she is face to face with a threat that has powers just like hers. Plus, Amon and Tim are hunting after Robin. How will The Witch Hunt of Mineral Town end? Find out next time, in the thrilling conclusion._


	4. Showdown of Fire

**The Witch Hunt of Mineral Town**

**Chapter 4: Showdown of Fire**

_A/N: AS I last left off, Robin has been confronted by Jack, who turned out to be the witch. Two hunters are about to show up on the scene. How will this final confrontation turn out? Find out in the exciting conclusion._

_By the way, what happened to the reviewers? I only had one review for the last chapter, much thanks go out for it. I hope that a few more of you feel the need to write something after you're done._

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**"Leaving **so soon?" Jack asked for the second time, continuing his slow but steady advance on the young girl. His face was illuminated by an eerie glow from his fire hands.

Robin looked over her shoulder at the ashes of her Vespa. "I don't think I can leave." She stated calmly, trying to hide the fact that she was frightened.

Jack shook his head. "Sorry about that, but I just couldn't let you leave. I can sense your powers. The two of us were meant to be together, forever." By now, Jack was standing within inches of Robin. He raised his hand to her cheek, the fire suddenly extinguishing itself.

"Why do you want me to stay? I'm not sure that I can trust being around a murderer." Robin inquired as she readied her powers. Jack might strike out at any second.

The farmer placed his head next to Robin's, whispering, "I've seen your powers in action. The two of us combined would be able to take control of this town, no, the whole country! Then, we could settle down and have kids. Imagine how powerful they would become with access to both of our powers."

Robin let out a short sigh, barely loud enough to be heard by Jack. How come all witches had to be so power hungry? She might have considered the proposal if it didn't involve taking over the country and killing people. Jack had been kind to her and she might have fallen for him under different circumstances, but as it was… "I'm sorry Jack, but that won't be happening."

"Fine! Then you are going to have to die, just like Kai!" Jack lit his fire hands and took an angry swing at Robin. Her fire shield was ready, easily deflecting the attack.

A stray spark from the fire clash lit a small patch of grass on fire. Soon, the fire spread to form a perfect circular arena for the two combatants. Neither seemed to notice, each too intent on defending against the other's attacks. Jack's attacks were being deflected by Robin's shield, while her attacks were being absorbed by the farmer's hands. They were too evenly matched for either to gain the upper hand.

The dance of fire didn't stay even for much longer. Robin was still relatively new to fighting and using her Craft. The sheer physical and mental drains were becoming too much for her. It wouldn't be long until she would be unable to continue.

Jack seemed to notice that Robin was weakening, stepping up the intensity of each blow. He seemed to be unaffected by the strain of using his powers. This was probably from all the work that he had been doing on the farm.

Robin's fire shield was just barely managing to deflect the attacks. With each new strike against it, the shield appeared to glow dimmer and dimmer. Finally, the shield collapsed and Jack broke through. His fist descended on Robin, who was gasping for breath. The one strike caught her squarely on the cheek, sending her reeling.

The victorious farmer stood above his victim. She was lying on her stomach, face buried in the ground. Jack extinguished his flames and knelt beside Robin. She was still conscious, but barely. Jack placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face to his. "I told you that you aren't leaving. Are you going to agree to my suggestion or are you going to resist, thus forcing me to kill you?"

The hunter's eyes were blurred but her determination was still showing. She opened her mouth to retort to Jack, but no sound escaped her lips. A seal had been formed over her mouth by Jack's own pair of lips. Suddenly, the farmer bolted up to his feet, screams leaving his mouth as flames licked away at his tongue.

A smile crossed Robin's lips as she watched Jack writhe about in agony. A sharp hiss could be heard from outside the fire ring. A second, third, and fourth hiss followed the first, each one barely audible above the roaring flames. Jack collapsed into an unconscious heap in front of Robin's face. The female hunter lifter her head to look in the direction of the source of the sound. Amon and Tim, guns smoking, could be seen walking through the flames towards her. That was the last thing she remembered before she blacked out.

**"So, **you're coming around I see." A male voice commented from beside her. Robin's eyes flickered open revealing her surroundings. She was lying on her back on a soft mattress in an extremely white room.

Robin looked over at the speaker and was shocked to see that it was Tim. He was dressed in his formal medical garb and for once didn't have a gun pointed at her head. "Where am I?" Robin managed to ask, a ripple of pain searing through her cheek with every word.

Tim chuckled. "You're in the Clinic. Where else would you be if you wanted to recover from that nasty burn that you've got?"

"That means that I'm not getting sent to the Factory?" Robin stated in disbelief.

The doctor nodded his head. "Amon and I matched Jack's fingerprints to some of the prints burned into the back of Kai. We jumped the gun a little by suspecting you because of your fire Craft."

"Is that an apology?" Robin smirked, knowing that Amon would never personally apologize to anyone.

"Yes it is." Tim replied, "Amon left a message for you when you got up. You have the rest of the day off, but you still have to go to work tomorrow."

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_A/N: Believe it or not, this actually marks the first multi-chapter fic that I have actually finished. I know that this is really short, but I never had any more to add to this story. I probably should have just added this at the end of the last chapter, but too late for that. Thanks for reading The Witch Hunt of Mineral Town!_


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